Should a doctor ever prevent the birth of a child? While your top instinct might be to shout “no!” you might change your mind after you read this insane story.
One young woman named Evie Toombs was able to successfully sue her mother’s doctors for allowing her to be born. That’s right, she sued her mother’s doctors for making sure that she was brought into the world.
Why, you ask? She has a decent reason. Evie was born with Spina Bifida, which is a spine defect exposing a person’s spinal cord through a gap in their backbone. Because of the disorder, Evie has to spend nearly 24 hours of her days connected to various tubes.
Evie says that the reason for the Spina Bifida is because her mother’s doctor, Dr. Philip Mitchel, never informed her to take prenatal vitamins that contained folic acid, which is supposed to help to reduce the risk of the fetus getting Spina Bifida.
In the suit, Evie explains that if this was made clear to her mother, she probably would’ve waited a bit longer to get pregnant. And if that were the case, Evie wouldn’t’ be here today.
The case was apparently so convincing that on December 1st, 2021, the judge ruled in Evie’s favor. “Provided with the correct recommended advice, she would have delayed attempts to conceive. In the circumstances, there would have been a later conception, which would have resulted in a normal healthy child,” says the ruling made by Judge Rosalind Coe.
Evie is now entitled to a massive payout, of which the amount is unknown. However, Evie’s lawyer stated that it would likely be significant enough to cover all the medical costs Evie will need for the rest of her life.
In the meantime, Evie will continue to pursue her hobby of showjumping (she is an award-winning amateur showjumper). She also has a passion for helping other people her age who may have similar conditions and bringing awareness to those who may not. In fact, Evie has been writing in her personal blog since she was 12 years old. You can follow along in her journey here.
Additionally, Evie is able to help affect change is through her self-created E.N.D. Campaign., which stands for “Educate, Not Discriminate.” “I don’t want any person (child or adult) to go through the same struggle if something can be done to help them on their way,” she writes in her blog. “My personal experiences fuel the commitment and passion I have about educating as many people as possible about invisible illnesses.”
What do you think of how this lawsuit went down? Who do you think should’ve won?